274 



British Cage Birds. 



once or twice a week, varied with ants' eggs, flies, and 

 mealworms, will revive and cheer the birds wonderfully. 

 Blackcaps are rather voracious, and in the aviary usually 

 partake of the different kinds of food given to other soft- 

 billed birds. It is advisable to gather some of the various 

 sorts of berries that these birds enjoy, and to preserve them 

 in covered jars, or tins, for winter use. A few of these, 

 steeped for a few minutes in warm water sweetened with 

 sugar, and placed in the feeding trough, with a supply of live 

 mealworms, will be greatly enjoyed. Some fanciers give their 

 birds crushed hemp seed, and bread soaked in milk, and 

 they appear fond of it ; but it is not good, as hemp seed 

 is too fattening, and, unless the husks be removed, indigestible, 

 and consequently injurious. 



These birds will eat most kinds of fruit, and enjoy a 

 roast apple sweetened with honey. Boiled carrot, mixed with 

 wheat meal and milk, makes a change of diet for them in 

 winter. If the carrot be placed in a basin of pure cold 

 water it can be kept fresh for several days ; the water 

 should be changed every night or morning. Blackcaps will 

 partake of boiled vegetables, such as cauliflower, curly greens, 

 or young cabbage. 



The following preparation will be found beneficial and use- 

 ful when insects and fruit are scarce, or not procurable, and 

 forms an excellent substitute : Take two newly-laid eggs, 

 a breakfast-cupful of fresh new milk, two tablespoonfuls of moist 

 sugar, and a tiny pinch of salt. Whip the eggs well, with 

 a wire egg whisk, in a basin, then add the milk, and lastly 

 the sugar and salt ; beat the whole well together with a 

 tablespoon, put it in a pie-dish, and bake in an oven until 

 is is nicely browned (not burnt) and well stiffened. This 

 compound will keep good for a few days, and th& birds will 

 enjoy it. If they are moulting, dissolve two pennyworth of 

 saffron in a wineglassful of water, and afterwards evaporate 

 as much of the water as possible ; then add a teaspoonful 

 of brandy or rum to the mixture. This quantity is sufficient 

 for ten or twelve birds for three or four days. 



The Blackcap is a tolerably hardy bird, and will live 

 in confinement, with good attention and a frequent change 

 of diet, for a period varying from six to sixteen years, or 

 •even longer in exceptional cases. One drawback to this bird 



